Sex Worker and Legal Status in Cambodia

Sex worker is new word from prostitute. Cambodia, stigma and discrimination again to sex works is very important because of no legal status to support them.HIV prevalence among brothel-based female sex workers (BBFSW) has declined from a peak of 45.8% in 1998 to 21.4% in 2003. The 2006 HIV Sentinel Surveillance (HSS) data may show a further decline. HIV prevalence among non-brothel based female sex workers (IFSW) declined from 19.3% in 1999 to 11.7% in 2003. Consistent condom use by BBFSWs is high (80%) but has remained low with sweethearts (25%) and casual sex partners (34%).STI prevalence among BBFSW did not change significantly between 2000 and 2005, possibly because they were re-infected by their sweethearts, soon after treatment. Consistent condom use by indirect female sex workers (IFSW) with paying clients is high, but similarly to BB-FSW, is low with sweethearts. The estimated number of BB-FSWs has decreased significantly (2,977 in 2006 compared to 4,504 in 2004) while the number of IFSWs has increased dramatically (12,762 in 2006; up from 6,846 in 2004). This change in the structure of the sex industry requires an enhancement of prevention programs for hard to reach IFSWs. However, the vast majority of commercial sex acts still take place in brothels, with a large number of new sex workers entering brothels each year. The median duration on the job for BB-FSW is 14 months. These factors point to the need for brothel-based FSWs and their clients to remain the main priority for HIV prevention.

In fact, the government has announced to close the brothels. Most of them go to work for Karaoke, Beer promotion girls…etc.“Prostitution is an unfortunate fact of life,” Mr McGinty said.Civil society want to give the police the power to properly control activities that might be crime-related but most importantly we don’t want the absurd situation of the police being required to turn a blind eye to any illegal activity. It is unlawful to manage a brothel, it is unlawful to live off the earnings of a prostitute, both of those are archaic laws.Accepted by sociality is very useful for entertainment girls, why? Because:

1-It will cut down the human trafficking
2–The national budget is increase for government to develop the country because of the collecting the tax from sex industry3-Authority can control the number of entertainment girls
4–The HIV/AIDS and STI epidemic among them will decrease
5–It is easy to check up her health and providing the training course for them
6–Stigma and discrimination again them will decrease
7–She will get out the punishment off from their clients and brothel owners

“Legalizing prostitution would not be a moral endorsement of paid sex, any more than the 1st Amendment is a moral endorsement of supermarket tabloids. It would just be a recognition of the right of adults to make their own choices about sins of the flesh – and of the eternal futility of trying to stop them.” “… confusing the effects of prostitution with the effects of laws against prostitution.”

Government and civil society now have the opportunity to critically examine criminalization and its effects and to engage with the real possibility of alternatives that can address the very concerns that strong supporters of criminalization seek to address.